Windmill.



No. 666,908. Patented Jan. 29, l90l. J. E. REGISTER.

WINDMILL.

(Application filed Oct. 20, 1900.;

(No Model.) v 2 Sheets--Sheat I Z l HUM. \\\\\III// THE Remus PEYERS co. PNQTO-UTHOY. WASHINGTON, n. c.

no. 666,908. Patented Ian, 29, I90l. J. E. REGISTER.

WINDMILL.

Application filed och-2b, won t Node! 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Wilnasscs I I 19069106 Unrrnn STATES JOHN E. REGISTER, OF JASPER, FLORIDA.

WINDIVHLL.

SPECIFICATIOIQ forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,908, dated January 29, 1901.

Application filed October 20, 1900. Serial No. 83,764- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN E. REGISTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jasper, in the county of Hamilton and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful WVind mill, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to windmills and the like,and particularly to that class having horizontal wheels revolving on a vertical shaft; and the object of the present improvementis to produce a simple and efiective windmill wherein the area of surface against which the force of wind is exerted will be automatically disposed to utilize a large percentage of the effective power of the wind and adjust itself to the varying velocity of the wind in order that the said area may be decreased during the prevalence of a wind strong enough to injure the mill or increased to present the greatest possible amount of surface in a light wind.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2 of a windmill embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2is a top plan View of the same.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in both views.

The numeral 1 designates a tower of any suitable general dimensions and elevation and having a top plate 2 with a circular track 3 fixed thereon. Extending centrally through the tower and the top plate is an upright shaft 4, to which the wheel is fixed, the said shaft being provided with suitable gearing for transmitting motion therefrom and also with any preferred form of bearings at the points where it passes through different parts of the tower and the top plate, and is continued above the plane of the latter and formed with an upper squared or anguiar portion 5 for a purpose which will be presently set forth.

The horizontal wheel comprises a series of three octagonal frames 6, 7, and 8, the frames 6 and 7 having a series of horizontal arms 9 radially extending through the centers thereof from the shaft 4. The said arms are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to hubs l0, fitted on the shaft 4, and the upper hub engages the angular portion 5 of the shaft, at which point the greatest driving power will be applied from the wheel by reason of the fact that the upper wheel-section is more fully clear to be influenced by the wind. Depending from the arms of the frame 7 are hangers 11, in which grooved rollers 12 are rotatably mounted and bear on the track 3 for antifrictional purposes and to relieve the shaft of weight and wear. The lower frame 8 swings around the upper portion of the tower and is held suspended by the wheel structure above,and by this means a material advantage is gained in view of the fact that the force of a portion of the driving power is applied to the shaft at a point of greatest reinforcement or near the upper extremity of the tower and more directly through the arms of the frame 7, though it will be understood that it is not meant that the power is in any way divided, as all the actuating parts unitedly contribute to the operation of the wheel as a unit; but the directions and lines of strain are what are considered. All the frames are peripherally connected by mastuprights 13, extending from the bottom frame 8 to a suitable point above the plane of the upper frame 6, and extending also from the inner ends of the arms of the frame 7 to the outer ends of the arms of the frame 6 are inclined braces 14, which relieve the wheel of any tendency of a crushing or collapsing effect of the wind force. The strength of the wheel is also materially augmented by suspending rod-braces 15, running from the upper end of the shaft 4 downwardly through intermediate points of the arms of the frame 6 to the peripheral edge of the intermediate frame 7. These rod-braces also pass through the inclined braces 14 to strengthen the latter and tie them againstlateral loosening strain or movement. It will be seen that the said rods suspend the wheel from an intermediate point in view of their passage through the arms of the frame 6 and the braces 14, and a stronger and more evenly-balanced structure results.

To each of the masts are secured a pluralityof flexible wings or sails 16, the said sails being pivotally attached at their inner portions to freely swing inwardly and outwardly to automatically change their angle relatively to the direction of the wind during the rotation of the wheel. A flexible stay 17 runs from the peak of each sail to an adjacent portion of the mast, and from the outer end of the boom 18 of each sail a sheet rope, cable, orchain 19 is secured and loosely runs through an eye 20 on the adjacent peripheral edge of the frame nearest thereto, the opposite end of the rope, cable, or chain having a weight 21 attached thereto and heavy enough to hold the sail in proper working position in an ordinary driving-wind; but in the event that the sail is engaged by a heavy or strong windcurrent the controlling influence of the weight is overcome and the sail is permitted to fly open and permit the said strong current of wind to pass through the machine. Each sail is similarly acted upon, and all the sails will automatically come about and jibe relatively to the current of the wind in accordance with the position of the wheel, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. When the sails arrive at a point where they are not influenced at all, the weights will draw the same in close in a straight line across the frames, as shown at the right of Fig. 2, and from said point when the wind is coming in the direction of the arrow 22 the sails automatically arrange themselves to have the most effective driving operation and without blocking the continuous rotation of the wheel in the least.

As many frames as desired may be used, and the number of sails employed will depend on the size of the wheel, and in addition to their propulsive operation the said sails can be conveniently used for receiving suitable advertising matter and produce a very effective result by their automatic change of position.

Though the preferred form of the improved device has been shown, it will he obviously apparent that changes in the form, size, proportions and minor details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A wind-wheel comprising a plurality of frames arranged in horizontal planes and parallel, the upper and intermediate frames being provided with horizontal arms radially disposed and running therefrom to the center, the lower frame being free of horizontal arms and suspended from the frames above, a shaft to which the arms of the upper and intermediate frames are fixed, a plurality of automaticallyoperating flexible wings related to each frame, a tower having an upper horizontal flat table provided with a track, and antifrictional devices depending from the arms of the intermediate frame and bearing upon the said track, the lower frame being free to rotate around the tower below the plane of the table thereof.

2. A wind-wheel comprising a plurality of frames arranged in horizontal planes and parallel, all the frames having peripheral polygonal portions, and the upper and intermediate frames provided with horizontal radial arms running to the center, a shaft having hubs to which the inner ends of said arms are attached, braces extending from the inner terminals of the arms of the intermediate frame to the outer terminals of the arms of the upper frame, suspending rod-braces extending from the upper end of the shaft downwardly through the arms of the upper frame, the braces extending from the arms of the intermediate frame to the arms of the upper frame and attached to the outer terminals of the arms of the said intermediate frame, upright masts peripherally secured to the peripheries of all the frames and extending above the upper one, sails movably connected to said masts and having freely-movable weighted sheet-lines attached thereto, and a tower having a top plate on which the intermediate arms antifrictionally bear.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. REGISTER.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. JACKSON, L. S. SHARP. 

